Best of

the Twin Cities

Best Jukebox

Turf Club Clown Lounge

When First Avenue bought the Turf Club in 2013, among the many concerns was that the new owners might tamper with the Turf’s scruffy basement hideaway, the Clown Lounge, and irrevocably erase its charms. But the subterranean lair is mostly intact, and, crucially, its beloved jukebox survived. In fact, after a fine-tuning from the folks down the street at Ax-Man Surplus Store, that old warhorse may be galloping along better than ever. May its selection of 45s — including jazz standards, old-school soul, and classic country — continue to offer an alternative to the bland homogeneity of internet jukebox services for years to come. Especially since scouting out a decent old-school record machine in the Twin Cities can be as challenging as finding a quality blacksmith.